Vanilla Flavoured Tea, Rain Flavoured Night
by Nekare
Summary: [KakaSaku]Dancing in the rain had never been so much fun for Sakura. especially if it is with a certain masked jounin.


God, Kaku/Saku is so addictive…

This is kind of a follow up to another one-shot of mine, **Years Passing By**, explaining with more detail what exactly happened; but you don't really need to read it to understand this. I don't know if to leave this as a one-shot or continue, so let me know what you think.

English isn't my first language, so there must be a lot of grammatical mistakes. also, Naruto doesn't belong to me (although I really wish it did) but to Kishimoto-sama.

**Vanilla Flavoured Tea, Rain Flavoured Night**

**By: Nekare**

The sky had been covered with gray, heavy clouds the entire day, but she had wanted to train anyway. Regardless of her name, she liked this time of the year; the cold cloudy days, with the smell of rain hanging heavily in every corner.

Naruto and Sasuke were gone in a mission, even when the three of them usually made a team. Sakura had been busy with a critical patient, a Leaf shinobi that had almost died in a mission. So she was alone.

And she was frustrated.

She threw a shuriken to a target in the other side of the training field with a little more energy than necessary, seeing the wood get chipped. She was angry at herself. She couldn't believe that regardless of all her expertise, and all of her hard training, and all of those years dedicated as a medical-nin it all had been worth nothing in the last few days. As Tsunade had taken over, she had told her it wasn't her fault, and that the ninja had been injured beyond her knowledge. The little solace she had was the patient at least had been alive when she had left him, and he was being treated by the Godaime at the same time. Hopefully, he would survive.

Another Shuriken joined the last one in the wooden target, this one with so much force in the blow that cracked the target by half. Sakura stomped her foot in a childish way, letting out a cry to the darkened heavens; letting out all of her frustration with herself and the world in a long scream. She finally broke it, closed her eyes and started to take deep breathes as to calm herself. It was hard, though.

"You could try preventing people to cover their ears if you're gonna start screaming at the top of your lungs, you know?" An all too familiar voice said behind her.

She chuckled under her breath. "Where's the fun in that?" She said as she turned around to see the masked jounin leaning against a tree, hands in his pockets and a lazy expression in his features. "What are you doing in here?" She had intended to sound just curious, but it end up sounding slightly hard. "I mean," She stuttered quickly "It's not like I mind it, or something, I just…" She released a long sigh, closing her eyes. "Nevermind."

_Great, _She thought ironically, _now I sound like a schoolgirl with a crush. _

He started walking towards her. "What's wrong?" Sakura didn't look at him. Instead, she opened her eyes and stared upwardly, her gaze directed to the steel-gray clouds. "What makes you think there's something wrong?" It was the oldest trick of the universe, when not able to answer, confuse the enemy with another question.

"The abused trees for one," He made a gesture towards the trees close to the now broken target, all of them with both shuriken and kunai embedded in the bark. "Two, the fact that you're stuttering, and three, you look like you're about to cry. So, I ask you again, what's wrong?"

_Damn him and his know-it-all tendencies, _she thought dryly. "Is everything too much?" She finally looked at him, only to find him a few feet away. He was staring at her in his own particular way, as if he was only focused in her and everything else was just decoration in the stage. The look that usually turned her insides into mush. Not that he only used it on her, that look reached his visible eye everytime he was concentrating hard on something.

Still, she couldn't stop her heart from missing a beat.

"Well, it could be worse, right?" _how sweet, he's trying to make me feel better. He must want something. _"Just how exactly?" She asked in a hard tone, even if she knew he didn't deserve her anger, after all he didn't even know what was happening; but she wanted so much to vent some frustration, that she couldn't care less.

"It could be raining."

Maybe he should have just kept his mouth shut, since a few moments after the statement left his lips; the cold, fresh rain started to fall heavily on them, soaking them in a matter of seconds. The smell of rain that had permeated the air for the whole day assaulted Sakura's senses, breathing deeply the smell of _life_ that soothed her so.

The pink-haired girl let her head down, hair plastered to her face, hiding it from Kakashi's view, who suddenly was nervous if she would blame the thick curtain of rain on him. God knew he didn't need his only visible eye to sport a nasty blue-ish color. He heard her chuckle, lifting her head moments later; Droplets falling on her smiling face. She opened her mouth to drink some of the water falling from the skies, an act he found strangely alluring. She kept on laughing softly, but if it was from the irony of the situation, he couldn't tell. He just hoped there weren't any tears mixed with the cold rain. He sucked at comforting females.

"I always wanted to dance in the rain, you know?" her statement surprised him, as well as the soft glow of happiness that showed in her now turned to him face. He knew he shouldn't, but it was hard to resist her soft smile and outstretched hand. Not to mention the fact that her clothes were soaked through, his perverted side added. He didn't say anything as he took her hand and her offer in one stride.

They started to waltz clumsily, neither one of them well versed in any kind of artistical activity. She laughed and began humming softly, an invented song that she may have heard in a dream. He followed her tune with a small smile gracing his lips, barely noticeable due his mask.

Sakura tried really hard to suppress the blush that was going up on her skin, but soon realized it was already a lost battle and gave up. It was strange, being like this, so close dancing in the rain, her worries completely forgotten, drowned by the intense rain.

"We're going to get sick." She shrugged, her right hand still intertwined by his, and her left on top of his shoulder. "It's worthy, though."

"Yeah…"

Her joy resulted contagious, for he was soon as animated as her. They stayed in there for a while, getting wilder with the pass of the minutes, and an hour later they had already tried ballet, polka, swing and tango. Failing horrible in each one, but having the time of their lives anyway.

It was only when both of them were shuddering from head to toe, that they decided to stop. They released each other in a resigned manner, neither saying anything, but both wanting their playful contact to last longer.

He suddenly sneezed. She couldn't help but giggle as he glared at her. "I never thought I'd see the legendary copy-ninja Kakashi catching a petty cold." there was a teasing look in her eyes. He decided he liked it. "Well, even I'm not perfect, even if I'm quite close to it." She just rolled her eyes, used by now to his lack of humbleness.

"Come on, I don't really want you to die on me from a pneumonia. You know my apartment is close, we can dry off in there, and I'd say some hot tea is in order." She didn't notice him swallow nervously before nodding in response.

They walked slowly towards her apartment, not bothering to cover themselves from the rain that threatened to become a storm. Sakura felt him so close, yet so far as he walked beside her, hands in his pockets and eyes staring ahead. They passed quietly and swiftly - as a ninja should – through the deserted streets, the town seeming like a ghost city with it devoid of any sound that wasn't that of the rain; and the colors being washed away by the gray that had cover every surface. the brilliant pink of her hair was the only color spot around, making her look strangely vibrant against the colorless walls.

They had had to enter her apartment through her window, but he hadn't said anything at her embarrassment when she figured out she had forgotten her keys. She had busied herself with the kettle to cover the blush that tinted her cheeks as he looked around the apartment, unsure of what to do. it wasn't like he hadn't been there before, in fact, he had been spending a lot of time in there lately; but he was wet, and he didn't want to get chastised for making a mess of her apartment. At least that was what he told himself, because in all honesty, he was nervous of their closeness today.

She noticed the poodle that had formed beneath his form, water dripping slowly from his soaked clothes. She entered her bedroom, only to come back a minute later with a bundle in her arms. "Naruto asked me to do his laundry while he's away, so you can wear some of his clothes while yours are wet. They may be too short for you, but it's the best I got." He nodded, taking the clothes from her and examining them. Thank God, they weren't orange, but that didn't stop them from being flashy. She heard him sigh as he entered her bathroom to change.

Entering her bedroom to change herself, her mind kept on playing the day in her head. It had started as one of the worst days of her life, and now… well, the smile that had crept up on her lips wouldn't go away for a while. She changed into a simple outfit, and entered the kitchen again toweling her hair when she heard the kettle's whistle. She searched around the cabinets, looking for the orange and vanilla flavored tea, not caring if Kakashi wouldn't like her strange taste in the beverage. He wouldn't argue if he knew what was good for him.

A soft click was heard, and she turned around to see him getting out of the bathroom, dressed in clothes a few sizes smaller than his (clothes with drawings, and rude words, and all other stuff that made Naruto who he was, written in the eyesore orange the blonde adored) and barefoot. A dazzling smile touched her lips when she saw he hadn't left his forehead protector on… nor his mask.

Even if she had first seen his face when she was sixteen, on the celebration for her chuunin promotion (she had hit him for that); it wasn't always that he would let himself be so open around her. It warmed her heart to know she was one of the few people he had ultimate trust in. What had she done to deserve it, she didn't know; but she was certainly not going to complain.

He took a seat in the small table in the middle of the kitchen. "So, what's in for tonight? Banana and cinnamon?" She glared at him faintly, turning around to serve the steaming tea in the two cups. Her weird tastes in both food and beverage had become kind of a joke in Konoha through the years, no one knowing what to expect when she would cook. Lately, it had become one of Kakashi's hobbies in the nights he stayed for awhile to guess what kind of weird stuff she would present him with. "Close enough. Orange and vanilla." She said as she gave him his cup, sitting in front of him.

His nose wrinkled. "Is that edible?" Damn it, but he looked cute that way.

"What?" She retorted "Do you think I'd try to poison you? ." He moved his eyes towards her just as he was going to take a sip, an eyebrow lifted and staring her with 'The Look' the one that turned her stomach into a whirling mess. She loved seeing his smile. "You tell me."

it was a game, and even if her heart was fluttering she'd be crazy to stop it. "Intoxicate you, maybe, but not poison you. Who would entertain me then?" She had matched his playful tone perfectly. "Intoxication? That sounds about right."

And then suddenly it had all changed. His words had been tinted with a flirtatious that made her skin tingle. She suppressed a shudder as he sipped on his tea, his eyes never leaving hers. _What to do, what to do, what to do, Oh God, what to do…_She was growing nervous, and she didn't like it. Suddenly the air in the kitchen seemed too dense to be breathable, and her mind had shut down. Did he mean it?

Then he placed his cup in the table again and the moment had passed. His face held that lazy attitude that was so very much his again and he wasn't looking at the cherry-haired girl anymore with the suggestive stare he had used a moment ago. But Sakura's heart kept on beating fast against her ribcage, in compass with the pounding of the rain in the window.

The moment stretched, silence blanketing the room. Sakura closed her eyes and told herself she had a chance. She willed herself to believe it, for she'd be so ashamed if she was wrong. She wasn't the Sakura she had been when she had first met him anymore. She was now an equal jounin, and jounins are courageous.

So she made her choice. Kakashi lifted his gaze from the tea when he heard her getting up from the chair, only to find the girl leaning to him across the table, her hands coming up to cup his face and drag him to her. Mismatched eyes opened widely as she crushed her lips to his.

A hazy moment later she pulled back, a dark blush in her face. He could see her still closed eyes, and feel on his face her hot breath from her parted lips. "Sakura…" Her eyes opened at the murmur of her name coming from his lips. She held his gaze. Unknown to the other, each one was considering in their heads the consequences the situation would carry.

Kakashi kissed her the second time. He put a hand to her nape, dragging her with him as he lifted himself to his feet, the girl ending up kneeling on top of the table; as both of them kissed at their hearts content, tasting on the other the coolness of the rain mixed with the lively orange and aromatic vanilla.

Suddenly remembering they were still in the kitchen, she pulled back, and managed to get down from the table without falling due her shaky legs. Grabbing his hand, she started to pull him towards her bedroom, stumbling with pretty much everything in their way as they kept on kissing and started undressing on the way. Both laughed when she tripped with the couch, almost dragging him to the floor. He was holding her by the waist and relying in his senses so they wouldn't fall as they crashed to her bedroom door. She giggled when his silver hair tickled her cheek as he kissed her neck.

He pulled a little at her pink tresses. "Don't laugh at me." She did exactly that. "I'm not laughing." She barely managed to say, her breath having disappeared suddenly. She fumbled looking for the door's handle, her mind drowning in a fuzzy bliss. "Yes, you are." He was laughing too, but he wasn't going to say that. She could feel the smile against her skin, though. "tsk, tsk, so touchy…" She finally found the handle, opening the door and letting them both inside.

"Wouldn't want me any other way, now would you?" He said making a bad pun to his perverted tendencies. She laughed again as they fell onto the bed, all tangled limbs, not being able to say where he ended and she started. "No, I wouldn't."

And some time later, when they were both panting and so satisfied; and when everything he could see was her cherry-colored hair, all he could hear was her laboured breathing, and he was drowning in the taste of _her_ and her strange frutal mixes and the soft rain outside; he talked to her. "As I said" and it was oh so embarrassing, but he had to pant the words "Intoxicated sounds quite right."

She just chuckled breathlessly against his neck.


End file.
